Rifflandia returned for the second night of weekend one and let’s just say it was HOT and ICONIC. The three stages featured a bit more variety compared to the first night. Base 2 Stage was devoted to folk, rock, and indie based performers, The Dome was the place to be for house deejays, and the Main Stage featured a mix of tech-house and bass music. With variety comes more to capture, so let’s not hesitate any further and check out the second night of Rifflandia!
The Base 2 Stage began the night with Pony Gold, The Zone’s Band of the Month for August. Indie sounds mixed with an Americana tempo made for a very beautiful set and a great way to start the second night. It also makes complete sense why Pony Gold was selected for Band of the Month. The chemistry of the six musicians was noticeable and you could tell the crowd enjoyed it.
Starting off The Dome was Mews, who spun a great set to kick off the stage. Those who caught her set were immediately ready to dance, as The Dome started to pack earlier than the night prior. One key moment from her set was preparing festival goers for next week as she spun a track off of Major Lazer’s recent collab with Major League DJz entitled Ke Shy. I know Diplo has his own production he’ll most likely spin next week, but it was nice to hear that track at least once during the festival as it is a personal favorite of mine. Plus who doesn’t love a Major Lazer song every now and then.
Starting on the Main Stage, we had Boogey the Beat. Boogey’s name has made it onto my festival discovery list as I hadn’t heard of him before. That being said, all that energy he was giving into the first set on the main stage; how could I not become a fan instantly. He also played a remix of Sergio Mendez and Brasil 66’s famous track, Mas Que Nada. I had no idea a remix like that could be so good. Boogey provided the vibes and with that, all stages were now active.
Back at The Dome, Vancouver’s Max Ulis took over on deck duties. A very solid set came from the established mainland producer and blended into fellow mainland vibe provider set, Dane. Both of them had incredible sets and once again, it was nice to see that seamless changeover between DJs. The quicker the transition, the more dancing that can be had and when DJs work together to blend into each other’s set, just makes for a better overall experience.
After a few hours of DJ sets, I decided to take a rest and head back over to the Base 2 Stage for Bleako’s Nuclear Disco. One of the more unique sets of the night but don’t that fool you because their set was really good. The crowd packed early for the fascinating vocals and duel guitar concept the group provided. Always nice to hear those groups you weren’t expecting to hear and I’m sure they gained some new fans on the island after that performance.
Back towards the Main Stage, Young Bombs were up next and those two know how to pump up a crowd. In my eyes, EDM has always had two moving parts and if one is missing, the gears will not turn. The two parts include the production side of the group which was there in all its glory but where these two really strived was their presence on stage. Hopping up onto the table, calling into the crowd, and much more gave the crowd a more engaging experience. A powerful set altogether and raised the bar pretty high for those coming up.
Base 2 Stage was heating up again as Fionn made their way to the stage. Two great singers playing to a well attended crowd was really nice to see. The change in genre for this stage was truly appreciated by attendees. After Fionn was Vox Rea joined by The Bankes Brothers. The sister duo with support by the brother’s gave the Base 2 Stage an unforgettable set. The only unfortunate part coming from their set was when they performed an acoustic track. The sound bleed between stages showed up here and as much as acoustic is powerful in spirit, the electronic sounds from around the festival just overpowered the song. Past that, the set truly was great and with how much time they had to practice, the set was really polished. Hats off to them all!
Finishing my night at The Dome was jackLNDN. Before I get into it, shoutout to Rags Music for the recommendation because I would’ve been pretty torn if I had missed this set. A very smooth output of house music took over the ears of all the dancers in what might’ve been the busiest I’ve seen that stage all night. Overall I was very happy with how the night went at The Dome and I cannot wait to see what mayhem comes from tomorrow’s Westwood showcase!
Fifteen years of a record label is no joke. Starting a label takes a vision and someone to have enough energy to bring the vision to life. An individual who fits these requirements very well is A-trak. Fool’s Gold Records is celebrating their fifteenth year as a label and I could go on and on about the importance of them. Artists like Danny Brown, LNDN DRGS, Duck Sauce, and many more have been a part of this label over the years and have generated some essential albums, like Danny Brown’s XXX. This accomplishment by A-trak is inspiring. What’s also inspiring was his DJ set. His set was an EDM masterclass and the fact that Victoria got to witness it was stellar. I pray this won’t be my last time seeing the legend because this was too good to only see once in my life.
According to Paris Hilton, Victoria is “Hot and Iconic”. While I’m sure she means well, I know she hasn’t seen the construction on Shelbourne year round because that is far from hot. Maybe iconic but that’s a reach, I digress. Paris took the stage after staff threw tons of Paris Hilton foam batons into the crowd, which helped light up the already excited crowd. I did not know what to expect from Hilton’s DJ set prior to seeing her. I am conflicted because I cannot confidently say it was a DJ set, rather her spinning some of her favorite music and then asking what the crowd wants to hear next. The set was quite broken up and no real consistency but at the same time, it worked for Paris. She spoke to the crowd, posed for photos, and lived like the icon she is throughout the set. To paraphrase her, she mentioned that she doesn’t do this because she has to, rather she does it to have fun and that’s all that matters at the end of the night. The drone show for Paris was quite amazing and the work put into it really showed. Overall, it worked and it closed an incredible night of music.
Night two included more walking than I’ve done in the last few months, but as I collapsed into my chair writing this review, I can honestly say that this was a truly successful night. That only leaves one final night for weekend one and if I’m going to cover it, I’m going to have to bring my A-Game because the final night has some true heavy hitters, which you won’t want to miss.
